Mail box



O. O. KOLSTAD MAIL BOX Filed Jan. 26. 1925 Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES OLE O. KOLSTAD, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

MAIL BOX.

Application filed January This invention relates to mail boxes, and particularly to a receptable for containing a ilurality of individual boxes.

The principal object is to provide a neat, attractive and practical nest of mail boxes applicable to appartment houses, tenement hotels, flats, or for roadside mail service. 1

Other objects and advantages of the speciiic construction will appear in the further description thereof. 1

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application and in which like reference characters indicate like parts: Y

Figure l'is an elevation of one of the improved mail box receptacles;

Figure 2 is a central vertical section of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a modified arrangement of a nest of boxes; and

Figure 1 is a still further modified clus ter, shown in cross section for a clearer comprehension of the receptacle construction.

In the preferred form of cylindrical nest of boxes a base is illustrated at 1, supporting a tubular stem 2 which carries upon a suitable ball or other frictionless bearing 3 the cylindrical skeleton-like receptacle comprising the tubular central support 4, mounted upon the circular block 5 at the base and carrying the circular block 6 at the upper end thereof, said tube being spaced some considerable distance from the stem 2, that is being considerably larger in diameter, and carrying radially thereupon any desired number of partitions or division walls 7. In the em bodiment here shown I have illustrated twelve such division walls so that twelve boxes may be installed therebetween in one tier of the complete circular receptacle. As a particularly practical arrangement I have shown the receptacle as comprising three such tiers, or in all thirty-six boxes.

In this arrangement there would be three circular floors indicated at 8, each floor being surrounded circumferentially by a flat, upstanding fiange indicated at 9 to prevent the boxes from falling out and each box being substantially segmental in shape rests upon its respective floor 8 in behind the flange 9. The boxes are illustrated at 10 and have no direct connection to the receptacle whatever, and terminate somewhat short of the full depth of each segmentally shaped compartment. For convenience in the mounting and manipulation of the operating levers ,11, one

26, 1925. 'Serial No. 4,645.

end of the lever is pivotally mounted as at 12 at practically a central point in the back of each box and the opposite end of each lever 12 is pivotally attached as at 13 to the outer wall of the operating tube 14 which loosely surrounds the spindle 2 and is vertically reciprocably mounted thereupon.

At one side of the upper end of the oper ating tube 1 1 is pivotally attached as at 15 the operating lever 16 which extends through the suitable opening in the block 6, and is attached as at 17 to the manually engageable lever 18. This lever 18 is pivotally attached as at 19 about the upper head ring 20 of the receptacle and lies normally upon the upper surface of the conicallyv shaped top 21 of the receptacle. The lever 18 is shown as of double construction and provided with the upright handle portion 22 and may be provided with any desired form of regulation mail box look at the point indicated at 23, so that the entire nest of boxes may not only be operated simultaneously by the operation of the lever, but are secured against tampering by the locking of said lever, the lock being controlled by the mail carrier only.

By this attachment it is apparent that when the free end of the lever 18 is raised the tube 14 will also be raised and carry with it the levers 11, which, being pivotally attached to the various boxes will tip them forwardly as indicated in dotted lines Fig-' ure 2, their upper side edges being arcuate in shape permitting of such forward tipping. When the boxes are thus tipped forward, it is apparent that their upper ends become available for the deposit of mail and when the lever 18 is depressed as illustrated in the drawing all the boxes will be simultaneously closed. For access to the boxes individually, I prefer to have the whole front of each box hinged in any desired manner upon one side, and provided with a suitable lock upon the opposite side as indicated at 24, whereby each owner may have access to his individual box; and these fronts are each provided adjacent the upper end with the usual name plate indicated at 25, with a very narrow elongated slot 26 just below same for the reception of calling cards or the like. Spaced upwardly from the lower edge of the door are two sight holes 27 through which anything deposited in the box becomes visible.

In Figure 1. I have illustrated a laterally extending arm or bracket 28 upon which a telephone arm. 29 may be pivoted as at 30 if so desired, and in the event of such a nest of boxes being used out of doors, for example in the rural delivery of mail,the spindle 2 could be extended somewhat and an umbrella like roof arranged over same to afford protection from the elements.

I have shown in Figure 3 an installation embodying the application of the invention to the corner of a room, wherein but a quarter of the circular arrangement of boxes such as shown might be employed, andin Figure 4L is a group comprising a semi-circular arrangement of the boxes, and, as is obvious the boxes may lie-of any desired shape, number or size, and yet fall within the general grouping plan.

The convenience of such a device is readily ap nreciated from the standpoint of the mail carrier, in that he may step up to such.

a receptacle, unlock and raise the operating lever, when all of the boxes simultaneously open by being tipped outwardly radially, and he can fill the nearest boxes and rotate the receptacle until all boxes are. served.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described comprising in combination a rotatable rack, an axial" support for said rack, a plurality of radially disposed boxes in said rack, reciprocable means about the axis of the rack for simultaneously tipping all of the boxes in the rack, said means being controllable from the top oi the rack.

92. A group of mail boxes assembled radially about a single support, reciprocable means to which each box is attached, and means attached tosaid reciprocable means for causing the same to simultaneously open each box.

3. A group of radially operable mail boxes assembled about a single support, reciprocable means about said support, connecting means pivotally uniting each box with said reciprocable means, and means for causing the reciprocable means to simultaneously open each box.

Intestimony whereof I hereunto attix my signature.

OLE O. KOLSTAD. 

